Come September, many parents are looking forward to sending their children back to school. Having to plan activities, coordinate child care, and shuttle children to and from summer camps can be exhausting!

Unfortunately, most children aren’t as eager for the school doors to open as their parents are. The good news is with a little planning and preparation, you can ensure a smooth back to school transition and help to prevent the back to school blues from settling in.

As the summer comes to a close, consider following these 5 tips to get your family off to blues free back to school start:

Provide opportunities to connect:

Take advantage of the open houses, meet and greet days and back to school events that your child’s school offers. These opportunities allow your children to gain familiarity with their classmates, their teacher and their school building. Many teachers provide a class roster to parents prior to or at the beginning of the school year. Consider hosting a back to school cookout for your child’s class. Doing so will provide a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to connect with the students he’ll be spending the next year with.

Practice your routine:

A week before school starts, settle into your back to school routine. Consistent sleeping, waking and eating times can help to ensure that your child faces each school day well rested and well fed. Be sure to establish consistent morning, evening and bedtime routines. Predictable routines will provide your child with a sense of security and stability.

Serve a nutritious breakfast:

Help your child start the day off right by offering a healthy, nutritious breakfast. Peanut butter on whole wheat toast, cereal and milk topped with fresh fruit, a fruit smoothie, or a ham and cheese omelet are all quick and easy nutritious options. Children who eat a nutritious breakfast tend to perform better academically and have less behavioral issues in the classroom.

Eat dinner as a family:

Gathering around the family table provides the perfect opportunity to engage in conversation about the day’s events. Ask your child open ended questions, like “What was the best part of your day?” and show genuine interest in his response. Children who eat with their family regularly tend to engage in less risky social behaviors and tend to do better in school.

Do what you can the night before:

Pack lunches, write lunch box love notes, pull out clothes, pack backpacks, sign permission slips and do whatever else you can do the night before. The less you have to do in the morning, the better. It’s also a good idea to have a set place for everything school related. Making sure everything ends up in its place each evening can help prevent early morning scavenger hunts.

While the end of summer vacation signals the start of the school year, the good times don’t have to end. Helping your child successfully transition back to school can give him the confidence he needs to embrace and enjoy his school experience.

With her background as an International Nanny Association Credentialed Nanny specializing in caring for multiples, Michelle has been partnering with parents in raising their children since 1994.

With her extensive experience in newborn, infant and child care, and with her passion for setting herself apart from her peers by providing top-notch service, Michelle is regularly called on by the most popular parenting magazines and websites to share her knowledge and expertise. She has been featured on Parents.com, Parenting.com, and BabyTalk.com and regularly contributes to ModernMom.com, Momtastic.com, and other popular parenting websites.

Michelle has contributed to TWINS Magazine and wrote a chapter for the best-selling Experts' Guide to the Baby Years. Michelle has also authored four books of her own entitled, Nanny to the Rescue!, Nanny to the Rescue Again!, Working Mom's 411 and A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists. She also co-authored Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care.

Michelle is an active member of the nanny and baby planner communities. In 2004, Michelle was honored as the International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year> and received accolades from President George Bush for her dedication to improving quality in-home child care. Michelle serves on the advisory board of the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals and has served on the board of directors and as vice president of the International Nanny Association. She has also served as the executive director of the International Nanny Association and as a trainer for The Academy of Coaching Parents International.

Michelle currently serves as the editor in chief of Longhorn Leads, managing the content across their portfolio of care related sites including www.eNannySource.com, www.GoNannies.com, www.NannyPro.com, and www.4Nannies.com, in addition to serving as the executive director of Morningside Nannies, the company’s award-winning placement agency.

Michelle is a national speaker, bringing a message of hope and empowerment to moms groups across the nation. She and her husband Jeff, reside on Cape Cod with their daughter, Abigail, and their son, Luke.